milks

genius B)

theres 2 nearby, one has some babies that will be ready in about 2.5 weeks, though I haven't visited them yet to make sure they're ok. Do you think they might care for them for the week (for a fee)?

Thanks LMG, the bird would probably stay at our home

I think I know the answer to this already, so please don't shout me down! I'm looking to get a baby grey soon but am away for a week in early november. We've a friend who keeps various birds who'd be able to look after it a couple of times a day. Would it be terrible to leave a young bird for a week? Should I just put off becoming an owner until we've got back? I think I know what the answer will be already, its just hard to wait another 10 weeks!

top find, thanks B)

No thats fine, I'm totally open minded to other views on the matter. Wasn't trying to 'let the cat amongsts the... parrots' :laugh:

hey, thanks everyone for making me feel welcome i've started posting my q's in other forums as I feel a bit cheeky sneaking them in here it looks likely that I won't be getting my baby until november though I'm pressing my gf for sooner, I don't think I'll be able to hold out that long :blink: The book I have says that a hand raised bird will associate entirely with humans and not birds. It says that while a parent raised bird will be timid to start with it is less likely to develop behavioural problems later in life if. Judging by the number of hand raised birds availble and differing opinion I'd guess that its not a significant issue as long as the bird has a caring and understanding home

thanks for that with regards to price are there many scammers/bad breeders out there that I should be worried about? Also does the DNA test show if a bird is healthy or prone to disease or is it purely to find the sex?

hiya I'm looking to buy a baby grey in the next couple of months, I see a lot of variation in price from private breeders (£300 - £800) some offering just hatch certificates and some also offering dna certificates. Can someone explain to me what these are for and if a dna certificate is necessary? Would you buy a bird without one? Also whats the reason for such big differences in price, should I be weary of the cheaper birds? thanks

hi all just to introduce myself, I'm in the midlands, uk, and am hoping to soon become an african grey owner. I've kept numerous exotic pets (see my profile) but since adulthood have only recently found the suitable circumstance to offer a good home, so I'm getting really excited about the prospect of getting a parrot! I've got a few questions that really cross numerous forums on here so I thought I might try and sneak them in to my introduction instead :whistle: From my research I'm looking for a parent raised timneh as I understand these tend to have a little more confidence and are less likely to cling to one person (I live with my gf) but in my search I've only come across one timneh breeder (450 miles away!) and none who claim to parent raise their birds. I'm also confused by the big differences in price (£300 - £800) and by the various cirtificates that do (and don't) come with the birds. In short then, would you travel hundreds of miles to find the right breeder bearing in mind you may be transporting a young bird the distance back again? What do the various cirtificates mean and how important are they? What might be the cause for the differing prices and would you be weary of buying a cheaper bird? Phew! sorry to dump that lot on you but it'll be a massive help and definately effect where I end up going for my bird :lol: